Unmasked
by jjjddd
Summary: The press is reporting that they have identified Batman's true identity. Unfortunately for Alan Finegen, a construction sight manager in Gotham city, all the reports are pointing to him. Now the private, introverted Alan is in the middle of a media firestorm, all the while guarding his true secret from the rest of the world.
1. Chapter 1

Again, Alan Finegen's phone beeped.

Again, Alan muttered that he did not have the fucking time for this.

He was sitting at his desk in a trailer in Old Gotham, on site of the construction of the new Gotham City Police Department headquarters that he was overseeing, while talking on the phone with the crew that was already two weeks behind on the repairs on the General Hospital. Well, two weeks behind before a water pipe, which was found nowhere on the plans that the city had given him, burst under the breaker of one of his excavators. On top of that he had three workers call in sick that morning, which he suspected was connected to the Griffins going to 15 innings the night before. The air conditioning in the trailer was on the fritz, the milk that he had put in his coffee had spoiled, and now his older brother Paul, who spent his days making up video games in a properly air conditioned office with refrigerated milk for their goddam cereal bar was texting him every two minutes insisting that he look at some sub-reddit, whatever the hell that was.

Text Message 10:03 – Paul: Check out the who is batman subreddit some guy mentioned your name.

Alan thought that he couldn't care less if some jerkoff mentioned his name, or tagged him, or anything else. His very strong self-image was predicated on him being nothing like his phone gazing, selfie taking, Candy Crush playing, like-counting, tweeting, uploading, posting peers. From the time he arrived at work following his morning workout (at a real gym with big machines and aspiring MMA fighters, not one of these social clubs with massage chairs and free bagel Sundays) until he checked out about two hours after the union guys had all packed up and left, he did not check his personal email, read news, or do anything else online not directly work related. That is how you become a site supervisor in your mid-twenties and come to manage all projects in southeastern Gotham for Ace Construction by the time you are thirty. Working so hard had its costs: His attempt at marriage fizzled before their second anniversary, there were not too many guys, if any, who he could call his friend. He had not gone out for drinks or to a ballgame with anyone his age since his divorce. Life was work, working out, visiting Paul and his wife and kids, travelling to Florida every two months to visit his parents, and going out for the occasional drink with older guys from the construction business. Any free time was spent reading books roughly the size of the Gotham Directory on World War II. He was not going to interrupt his workday to go to some website for creeps to post pictures from underneath girls' skirts at mall escalators.

He picked up his phone and sent a one word message to Paul: working.

Matt the accountant came into his trailer to go over some numbers on the Police Department project, he put together a file for the bike messenger to bring to City Hall, and spoke to a medical equipment supply company about electrical wiring for the hospital, all the while wiping sweat from his brow and ignoring his phone as it beeped and vibrated its way across the table. After more than an hour, he picked up the phone and gave it a glance.

Text Message 11:06 – Paul: Better get infront of this. These clowns are all over your FB page.

Text Message 11:26 – Paul: YourAnonNews is tweeting your name

Three more messages, all from Paul, followed. He dialed Paul's number to talk to him like a normal person.

"Paul, what the fuck do you want?"

"Don't 'what the fuck' me. I'm not the guy who just was upvoted the front page."

"Upvoted to what? Speak fucking English."

"Do you even know what Reddit is?"

"I don't have time for this shit."

"You better make time, little brother, because 450,000 people are reading that you might be Batman."

"450… Batman? I really don't have time for this shit."

"I don't think you have a choice. Look at the link I sent you. Then call me back."

Alan went to one of Paul's messages, clicked on a link, and was brought to the thread.

reddit/r/crime Who is Batman?

promaster 10 points ten minutes ago: He certainly looks fit enough.

34charlyP 13 points twelve minutes ago: OMG! His uncle was a cop gunned down in line of duty. Totally has motivation.

luvluvx 8 points thirteen minutes ago: seems to be the right age

34charlyP 13 points sixteen minutes ago: found his facebook page- mining it for relevant data- see /alanfinegen

tolforest7 18 points fifty minutes ago: Alan Finegen

luvluvx 8 points fifty five minutes ago: Alan Finegen

black6widow 5 points 1 hour ago: Alan Finegen – best lead on Batman I've ever seen

"These creeps are on my Facebook page? Of course. Stupid fucking Facebook," Alan mumbled as he opened a browser on his laptop. He never wanted a Facebook, but Paul badgered him so much about being a Luddite that he eventually gave in. He almost never posted. He glanced at his page. A picture of him at the beach, shirtless, lifting his nephew over his head, posted by Paul. An image of a wreath in memory of his uncle, Captain Frank Finegen, gunned down in the line of duty, posted on the anniversary of his death. A clip of Bruce Springsteen telling a story at concert in England. Why the hell did these people care? He clicked on **Settings****, **then**Security**, then **Deactivate your account**. Done. No more creeps.

He went back toreddit/r/crime Who is Batman? And began reading from the bottom up.

reddit/r/crime Who is Batman?

luvluvx 8 points two hours ago: searching names of construction supervisors in Gotham. Must narrow it down to white men between 25 – 35 (maybe 40 but probably not). Also should…

iffyPop 2 points two hours ago: awesome idea!

stromguy78 7 points two hours ago: New theory re: bat resources: Works in construction. Supervisor or higher. Gives him ability to use heavy machinery for batmobile. Also can order rappelling gear et… without suspicion. Also, if batcave does exist (see earlier in thread) must have been built by someone with ability.

His phone rang. Paul. Alan picked up and began

"I can't believe they're…"

"What the hell did you just do?"

"Nothing. I was just reading this thread."

"So you didn't deactivate your Facebook account?"

"Of course I deactivated my Facebook account. You think I was going to let those creeps…"

"Alan, you dumbass. Now they're all totally convinced it's you."

"Because of the goddamn Facebook?"

"Because it looks like your hiding."

"What is wrong with these people?"

"Shit, just got a tweet from that prick Alexander Knox."

"The reporter from the Globe?"

"Yeah. Listen. 'Closing in on Batman. Construction manager and athlete Alan Finegen trying to cover his digital trail'."

"Athlete? Digital trail? _Batman_? Nobody believes this shit?"

"Alan, people don't just believe this shit. They _live_ for this shit."

reddit/r/crime Who is Batman?

dave zero points one minute ago: My brother (went to high school with him) CONFIRMS IS NEVER SEEN AT NIGHT

sholmes twelve points two minutes ago: Can someone else confirm that he has not been seen out at night?

strngbeeen three points five minutes ago: Spoke to a friend who KNOWS HIM PERSONALLY. SAYS has not seen him out at night in YEARS.

sholmes twelve points five minutes ago :yes, mouth is eerily similar. Cannot be a coincidence.

crystalk five points six minutes ago: exact same mouth!

sholmes twelve points seven minutes ago: asked a friend in construction, says man in his position definitely would have access to all kinds of gear

gothgrl888 four points seven minutes ago: is that a bruise under his left pectoral? Looks like someone has been fighting

issuet99 six points eight minutes ago: no normal person needs to be in that good shape

As behind as he was, Alan had to leave work. Just couldn't focus, just kept refreshing the stupid thread. . One the drive home he listened to Gotham 1020, as always. Usually it just served as background noise, except for when he focused on the traffic or weather. Today, every word made his stomach turn."

"Reports coming from credible sources link Batman and Finegen…"

"The 'Worlds' Greatest Detective' doing his best to keep the amateur detectives of his trail…"

"There are clear similarities between Batman's tools and those which Finegen had easy access to…"

Batman. Of course Batman. He knew that one day Batman would get him one way or another. He always knew the other shoe was going to drop. Ever since he gunned down his uncle 15 years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the day after Alan's sixteenth birthday, and he was sitting in the passenger's seat of his Uncle Frank's police cruiser. His pants were off, sitting on the hood of the car to dry. His uncle had offered to buy him a pair of waders for his birthday, but Alan tuned down the offer with a single "No fucking way." He could just imagine what his life would look like if anyone from his school happened to be driving on the Sprang River Bridge and would look down and see him in nylon pants that went up to his chest, held up by shoulder straps like a dress and boots attached to the bottom like a kid's duck feet pajamas. He would likely get drawn into so many fights that he would be expelled from school within a month. His pants would just have to get a bit wet.

His Uncle Frank, of course, didn't care. He would put on the whole getup before wading out into the river, fly fishing rod in his right hand and unfiltered Lucky Strike in his left, an ever present light only to be extinguished when it was time to pull on the line, in which case he would throw whatever was left of the cigarette into the river. If the fish was small, he would throw it back. If it was a striped bass was large enough to fry, he would throw it into the cooler, light another cigarette, and throw out the line again. Technically, a Gotham City fishing license (cost: $25, but half price to members of the Gotham Police Union) did not allow you to keep the fish. By law, fishing was only to be for recreational purposes and all catch was to be thrown back. But as Uncle Frank often said, there is what is technically legal and there is what is truly right, and the two don't always square. Frank was serious about his job as cop, but years on the job and with the daily exposure to pimps beating their whores, who would then beat their own kids, who themselves would grow into dealers and pepper the streets with bullets, a never ending cycle of violence and filth, had turned him into something of a philosopher on the nature of morality. "The Golden Rule kid," he would often to Alan, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets,' You know who said that? Jesus. He knew a thing or two about how to act. Don't talk to me about frying fish for dinner. Tell me how we can protect a kid whose mother is shooting up in the next room."

Frank's kids were much younger than Alan, 2 years old and 6 months, too young to fly fish even by Frank's standards. Alan himself was 4 when Frank first took him out to his secret fishing spot under the Sprang River Bridge, bought him his first kit, spent hours instructing him on how the tie the bait, pull the line, and most importantly, to throw the line the back and forth motion that prevented Alan from being wrapped up in the line as he constantly had been the first two dozen or so times that they went out. Now Alan was sixteen, sitting pantsless in the front of his uncles cruiser, only half listening as Frank lectured him, again, on the golden rule between puffs the pungent cigarette.

"… so if you could help others, even if it is hard for you, even if it something that society frowns upon, you do it. Because society isn't always right. What is technically legal and there is what is truly right, and the two don't always square. You agree, Alan?"

"Sure," Alan replied, fidgeting the knobs on the dashboard.

"You say you agree, but do you really? I mean, would you do something, something great, something that would help people, even if it goes against society's rules?"

"Yes, really," Alan said, a bit annoyed. For some reason Frank refused to roll down the windows, and the smoke was beginning to bother his eyes.

"Okay, then. Alan, I'm going to ask you to do something for me then. Not only for me, but for Aunt Christina and your cousin James and little Lydia. Will you do it?"

"Sure," Alan said, pulling on the radio chord.

"I want you to kill me."

Alan stopped fidgeting.

Frank spoke for the next thirty minutes without a pause. He spoke about coughs, and tests, and cancer. He used medical terms like inoperable and incurable. He started in on police lingo, with phrases like US DOJ and in-service death, and killed-in-the-line-of-duty. Then he spoke in financial terms like, mortgage, college fund, and $330,000, which was the amount of money his family would receive from the feds if he was gunned down in the line of duty. And $0, which was how much of that money they would get if he just coughed himself to death, not counting the expenses they would rack up for painkillers and hospice care.

"So you' ll do it, Alan? For your Aunt and cousins? For me?"

"Do what?"

"Alan," he said, patting him on the back, " I thought you were quicker than that." He reached under his seat, and brought out a plastic Ziploc bag. Inside was a gun.

"A few weeks ago I picked up a kid dealing. Nothing serious, just pot. Seemed like a good kid, just needed to be pushed in the right direction. So I let him slide. Told him to get his life together. That this is his last warning, if he crosses the law again he will suffer the consequences and then some. He thanked me, almost kissed me in gratitude, and promised he'll go completely straight. I didn't book him. But I did take this," he said, holding up the gun.

"Now, his prints are all over this thing. But his prints are not in the system. And they won't be, as long as he keeps himself clean. So let's say I'm shot with this gun. We'll take the prints, we'll have a suspect, but no one will know who it is. No one will ever connect it with the kid, but if someone else is suspected, they'll run the prints against the suspect, and exonerate him. I could be gunned down in the line of duty, and no one suffers."

"Well, you'll be dead."

"I'll be dead anyway. The only question is: will I die as a burden to my family, or will my corpse be their lottery ticket."

"And you want me to pull the trigger."

"Alan, you're the only man I could trust."

Alan sat and thought. The sky turned dark, his legs started to shake from the cold, but he did not move from the seat. Frank sat silently by his side, inhaling one Lucky after another. Finally, Alan said, "I'll do it."

Frank grabbed Alan with both hands, in a tight awkward embrace and exclaimed "I knew you were a man!

"Just one question. What if this guy, the guy whose prints are on the gun, gets picked up for something else. Won't he be charged with your murder?"

"Look, Alan. I made a deal with that kid. I let him off. He promised to keep his nose clean. As far as I'm concerned, he's been warned. So for his sake, young Joe Chill better stay out of trouble for now on."

It had been more twenty years from the time when Alan had gunned down his Uncle Frank in a parking lot in the Narrows until the day when he first heard of the masked vigilante patrolling Gotham's streets, who was supposedly the world's greatest detective. But he was certain from the first time he had heard the name Batman that his secret would be discovered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ace Chemical Processing Inc.** — The factory where a costumed criminal named the Red Hood fell into a vat of chemicals and became the Joker, in Alan Moore's _Batman: The Killing Joke_.

**Amusement Mile** — An amusement park in Gotham, lined with ferriswheels, rollercoasters, and other attractions typical of a theme park.

**Blackgate Penitentiary** — The city's main prison, located on Blackgate Isle. _Batman: The Long Halloween_ suggests that it was preceded by Gotham Penitentiary.

**The Bowery** — Described in the comics as Gotham City's worst neighborhood. Bordered by Crime Alley to the north, The Bowery is home to Crown Point, a smaller inner-district ridden with crime, homelessness, and prostitution.

**Brentwood Academy** — A privately run high school once attended by Tim Drake during Chuck Dixon's tenure as writer of _Robin_ vol. 2.

**Burnley**

**The Cauldron** — An area known for organized crime. The Irish Mob runs most of The Cauldron and it is home to some of the most prestigious hitmen in the city, per _Hitman_ by Garth Ennis and John McCrea.

**The Clocktower** — A tower in central Gotham which at one time contained the secret headquarters of Barbara Gordon, for her activities as Oracle. The "War Games" storyline shows the destruction of the Clocktower.

**Chinatown** — Gotham's primary Asian district.

**Crime Alley** — A small side street, located in the East End, formally "Park Row." It is a dangerous, crime-infested area. This is where Joe Chill killed Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of their young son, Bruce, after the family had visited a cinema. In addition, this is the location where Batman first met Jason Todd, when the youth attempted to steal the tires from the Batmobile. This is also where Doctor Leslie Thompkins maintains her clinic, and where Batman battles Superman in _Batman: The Dark Knight Returns_.

**Diamond District** — An area run by the Penguin during the No Man's Land series.

**The East End** — An underdeveloped part of Gotham laden with poverty, crime, prostitution, and the circulation of illegal drugs. Some writers occasionally blend the East End together with Crime Alley as a single area in the city. In the _Catwoman_ series, especially volume 3, Catwoman takes an active interest in protecting this area.

**Falcone Penthouse** — This was the home of Carmine Falcone before Two-Face killed him. This was also the place where Batman first encountered Catwoman, and first faced Two-Face, all of this in _Batman: The Long Halloween_.

**Fashion District** — An area run by the Penguin during the No Man's Land series.

**Financial District**

**Finnigan's** — A bar popular with uniformed police officers in Gotham.

**Gotham County High School** — A public high school once attended by Tim Drake.

**Gotham Docks** — This is the city's harbor. Among other stories, the harbor figures in _Batman: The Long Halloween_ as the place the coroner's body is found.

**Gotham Heights** — An affluent area also known as "Bristol" and/or "Crest Hill", due to mutual proximity of the three neighborhoods. This is where Wayne Manor is located.

**Gotham Square** — A central area of the city resembling New York City's Times Square.

**Gotham Village** — In 1970s comics this was a bohemian area, based on New York City's Greenwich Village.

**Grand Avenue** — The city's main theatre district based on New York City's Broadway.

**The Hill**

**The Iceberg Lounge** — A nightclub in the city center operated by the Penguin.

**Killinger's Department Store** — A large department store similar to _Macy's_ in New York.

**Monarch Playing Card Co.** — The playing card factory adjacent to Ace Chemical Processing that the Red Hood was attempting to rob before encountering the Batman and fleeing.

**My Alibi** — An underworld bar in the city center.

**New Town**\- An area in which during the No Man's Land series, was the district operated by the Ventriloquist and his puppet Scarface.

**Old Gotham** — The Gotham district more well known for the location of Oracle's Clock Tower and the GCPD headquarters.

**Otisburg**

**Park Row**— The place where the Solomon Wayne Courthouse is located.

**Plant Factory** — The place where Batman first fought Poison Ivy during his first year of operation. It apparently burned to the ground by the end of the battle.

**Robinson Park** — The city's main park. During "No Man's Land," Poison Ivy claimed this area as her own. Named for 1940s Batman artist and Joker co-creator Jerry Robinson.

**The Stacked Deck** — A seedy nightclub where the most notorious criminals in Gotham go to hide out sometimes.

**The Statue of ****Justice** — Also known as "Lady Gotham," this is a monument situated off shore of the city and modeled loosely on the Statue of Liberty in New York. It varies in that the figure has a blindfold over her eyes, and a sword and scales in her outstretched hands.

**Slaughter Swamp** — Just outside Gotham, this swamp 'birthed' Solomon Grundy, a frequent villain to Alan Scott.

**Tricorner** — An island at the southwest corner of Gotham City. It is home to the Tricorner Yards.

**Toxic Acres** — An abandoned neighborhood of newly built houses, unsuitable for habitation due to its proximity to a toxic waste dump. To prevent illness, those entering or staying in the area need to use gas masks or take antivenin. At one-time Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn used the area as a hideout.

**Wayne Manor** — Also referred to as "Wayne Mansion" or "Stately Wayne Manor," this is the mansion estate of Bruce Wayne, and the location of the Batcave.

**Wayne Tower** — This is the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, located at the corner of Finger and Broome Streets. Named for comic creators Bill Finger and John Broome.

Many other areas and landmarks have been referred to more inconsistently in the comics and most are named in homage to important _Batman_ creators. These include:

**Aparo Expressway** — Named for artist Jim Aparo.

**Aparo Park** — Also named for artist Jim Aparo.

**Archie Goodwin International Airport** — Named for writer and editor Archie Goodwin.

**Barr Town** — Named for writer Mike W. Barr.

**Cape Carmine** — Named for artist Carmine Infantino.

**Davis Avenue** — Named for artist Alan Davis.

**Dixon Dock** — Named for writer Chuck Dixon.

**Finger River** — Named for Batman co-creator Bill Finger.

**Finger Memorial Park** — Also named for Batman co-creator Bill Finger.

**Grant Park** — Named for writer Alan Grant.

**Kane County Morgue** — named for Batman's creator Bob Kane, services Gotham City.

**Miller Harbor** — Named for writer and artist Frank Miller.

**Novick Tunnel** — Named for artist Irv Novick.

**Puckett Park - **Named for writer Kelley Puckett. During No Man's Land, Batman buried 6 residents of his territory here after they were murdered by Two-Face.

**Robbinsville** — Named for artist Frank Robbins.

**Robinson Plaza** — Named for artist Jerry Robinson.

**Robinson Square** — Also named for artist Jerry Robinson.

**R.H. Kane Building** — Named for Batman co-creator Bob Kane.

**Robert Kane Memorial Bridge** — Also named for Batman co-creator Bob Kane.

**Sprang Bridge** — Named for artist Dick Sprang.

**Sprang River** — Also named for artist Dick Sprang.

**The Westward Bridge** — Named for actors Adam West and

_**2015 Ford Bronco engines**_

2015 Ford Bronco will drive all four wheels. Combined with a 6-speed ZF-6 manual or 6-speed 6R140 automatic automatic transmission. There will be multiple engines:

2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine. Production of this engine will be 128 hp and 244 lb-ft (330 Nm) of torque.

3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine. This engine will produce 365 hp and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque.

5.0-liter V8 engine. Production of this engine is 360 hp and 380 lb-ft (515 Nm) of torque.

Offered will be a 4.5-liter turbo diesel engine.

There are announcements that will be offered in two engines, but this was not confirmed. These are:

4.9-liter six-cylinder engine. This engine will produce 330 hp and 645 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque.

5.8-liter V8 engine. This engine will produce 662 hp and 631 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque.


	4. Chapter 4

Alan lay in bed, head on the pillow, staring in the direction ofthe guestroom closet in Paul's house. A white door. A laundry basket. An aluminum Rawlings baseball bat. A hot wheels car wash set with a ramp. Paul had two kids, and they made their presence felt in every room of the house at all times.

Alan was not particularly comfortable with imposing on his brother's family, and Paul's wife Linda definitely would have preferred that the most sought after civilian in Gotham had stayed far away from her home and her children, but after he was kicked out of his apartment and banned from entering any of his work sites, he could not think of anywhere else to go. Feeling helpless was new to Alan, and it was not something that he was enjoying. So he lay in bed, staring at the closet door, maybe dozing off a bit, maybe not, but definitely uncomfortable, feeling like someone was … watching him. Suddenly he jumped out of the bed and grabbed the bat, turned to swing at the figure at the foot of the bed.

"What the fuck Alan!" a female voice shrieked.

"Lina?" Alan asked confusedly.

"No, it's not Lina," a voice that sounded just like Lina's, but now completely full of hard edges, responded. "She left you , remember?" The voice then suddenly softened to a purr. "Though I cannot imagine why. Complaining all the time that you were never home. But had more important things to do than my sister, isn't that right Batman?" The figure crawled onto the bed and made its way towards Alan.

"Shelia?" Alan conjectured.

"At our service, Hero."

"Sheila." Alan again, this time with a sigh.

Alan had been married to Lina for a little under two years. Lina was beautiful, sharp, and sarcastic, and dating her was a pleasure. Their wedding was a thrill. But from the day following the wedding, when Alan left his sleeping bride alone in their marriage bed at 6am to head to work, until the day Lina had the divorce papers delivered some twenty months later, the marriage was a disaster. Alan felt that he needed to work, while Lina insisted that a marriage entailed the couple actually seeing each other. Though Alan objected at the time of the divorce, it did not take long for him to realize that she was tight. That she deserved a husband who would make her, if not his number one priority, and least in the top three.

While they were married, Lina's sister Sheila wove in and out their life. She threw them an engagement party and got so drunk that she passed out before it began. She fought with Lina over her choice of bridesmaids and didn't attend the wedding. She wouldn't talk to her sister for months, followed by weeks sleeping on their couch. Alan tried to avoid her when he was married, and since staying on the phone on the day of the divorce as Sheila cursed him out for fifteen minutes for mistreating her sister, had not though of her since. Now she was here, in his bedroom at his brother's house, clumsily trying to seduce him.

It would take more than two years of celibacy to get me in bed with you" Alan muttered under his breath, as he took a step back to the corner of the room.

Sheila crawled across the length of the bed sent a grabby hand in Alan's direction, which caught the fringe of his t shirt. She began pulling it towards her saying "Don't you need something to take your mind off of fighting all that crime? I know my sister couldn't handle a hero, but I can."

"Sheila I am not a hero."

"Don't you worry," she purred, "Your secret is safe with me."

"I don't have any secrets," he barked, "and am not going to sleep with you."

Sheila pulled back her hand, looked him right in the face, and said, "You do have at least one secret. Where you are hiding right now. And I bet Channel 4 would be quite interested in hearing your current whereabouts."

Silence. And a smile spread across Sheila's face, "So you wanna play?"

Alan did not want to play, but did not want Channel 4 outside his window either. He took a deep breath, sat down on the bed beside Sheila, took her hand, looked down at his shoes, and said, "Listen, Sheila. It's not that I don't want to be with you. I always have. You were always the prettier one." He paused for a second to glance at her face, half expecting her to call him out on his bullshit. Instead, he saw that she was all large pupils and trembling lips. "It is just for me… it is the same now as it was then. I am still loyal to Lina…"

"Lina? She dumped you!"

"Well, maybe not loyal…" he said, trying to come up with a new tactic, "Just… scared. Scared of hurting you."

"Hurting me?"

"Yes. You see… a lot of people are after me now because of… what has been publicized." There, he thought, that is not a lie. But from her response it was clear that he had gotten his point across.

"So it's true?" she whispered.

Alan stared at his feet.

"I knew it was true," she continued, "No one could be as one dimensional as you pretended to be. Working all the time, except for when you were at the gym practically abandoning your wife to spend more time with dump trucks. While the whole time you were protecting us all…."

"I only want to protect. And if you got hurt… because of me…."

Alan gave her a hug, and felt her tears run down his neck and her snot clump on his collar. They held like that for a few minutes, until Sheila stood up and walked over to the window, and began to climb out. With one leg over the ledge she said, "Poor, heroic man. Always doomed to be alone. And me, Batman's unrequited love," and climbed out the window from whence she came.

Alan went back into bed, and tumbled into fitful dreams of Lina smashing his dump trucks and Sheila dressed as Catwoman. Until again, slowly working towards consciousness when that feeling returned. That feeling that he was being watched.

He shot up in bed.

"Goddammit Sheila!"

But it was not Sheila standing by the foot of his bed. In the dark he could make out the road torso, draping cape, the pointed ears rising above the head.

He had been woken up by Batman.


End file.
